Fat Can Build Up in Your Lungs
By Rachael Rettner - Senior Writer 4 hours ago Health
The findings may explain why obesity is a risk factor for asthma.
Add this to the list of insidious places that fat can accumulate: your lungs.
A new study shows, for the first time, that fat can accumulate in the airway walls of the lungs, the authors wrote. The amount of fat accumulation was higher among people who were overweight or obese, compared with those of normal weight.
What's more, the findings may explain, at least in part, why obesity is a risk factor for asthma, according to the study, published Thursday (Oct. 17) in the European Respiratory Journal.
The link between obesity and asthma has been known for years, but the reason for the link is not completely understood. Some researchers have suggested that excess weight places direct pressure on the lungs, making breathing more difficult. Others have suggested that obesity may increase inflammation throughout the body, which contributes to asthma.
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